Apparatus for generating combustible vapor.



Z. A. WILLARD.

APPARATUS FOR GENERATING COMBUSTIBLE VAPOR.

APPLICATION FILED AUG-M11912.

1,169,?96 Patented Jan. 25, 1916. A

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ZABDIEL A. WILLARD, 0F BROOKLINE, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR T0 CAROLINEWEST, BROOKLINE, MASSACHUSETTS.

APPARATUS FOR GENERATING GOMBUSTIBLE VAPOR.

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Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed August 31, 1912. SerialNe. 718,049.

of Brookline, in the county of Norfolk and State of Massachusetts, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for GeneratingCombustible Vapor, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to apparatus for generating and burning gases. 1use a mixture of hydrocarbon and steam and pass the mixture thereofthrough a retort in which the hydrocarbon and steam are decomposed byheat, and burn the gases which are formed in the retort, directinga'flame of said gases against the retort to effect the decomposingoperation.

I am aware that this process is not broadly new; but my inventionincludes a new combination and arrangement of parts of the apparatuswhereby I obtain an improved result.

So far as I am aware, hydrocarbon vapor has never been fed by pressureequal to that of the live steam which ismixed with the vapor; butaccording to my invention. the pressures of the hydrocarbon vapor andlive steam are equal, and my apparatus whereby this equalization ofpressure is maintained enables me to use either a hydrocarbon vapor orliquid hydrocarbon as the substance which is mixed with the steam tosupply the mixture which is decomposed to supply the combustible gases.

The accompanying drawing illustrates, somewhat conventionally, anapparatus embodying my invention. The drawing represents. in verticalsection, the gas-producing and gas-burning apparatus in cooperativerelation to a steam generator.

The same reference characters indicate the same parts wherever theyoccur.

The steam generator. indicated at 10. is broken away in two places andshortened from front to rear, solely for the purpose of saving space onthe drawing. This shortening of the generator gives the combinedapparatus an abnormal appearance; but if it is borne in mind that thesteam generator should be about twice as long as it appears to be, theproportions would be approximately correct.

The combustion chamber of the generator comprises a lower trunk 11, anupwardly extending trunk 12, a short upper trunk 13, and a plurality offire tubes 14 which constitute continuations of the trunk 13 and whichdischarge the products of combustion into the outlet flue 15. Theleft-hand end of the trunk 11 is open to receive the burner hereinafterdescribed.

16 is a draft regulator arranged in the outlet fine 15.

My apparatus for generating combustible gases comprises a source ofsteam under pressure, a source of hydrocarbon oil under the samepressure as the steam, means for mixing streams of hydrocarbon andsteam, and means for decomposing the mixture.

I have indicated at 5 a relatively small steam generator whose purposeis to supply the necessary steam for starting the operation. Thisauxiliary generator 5 will, in practice, be used only until there is asufficient pressure of steam in the main generator 10. i

A steam supply pipe 6 extends from the starting generator 5 and has ashut-off valve 7. Pipe 6 connects with a steam pipe 23 which hasbranches 24: and 25. Branch 24 extends into a pressure-sustaining tankor reservoir 20 into which hydrocarbon oil is supplied by any suitablemeans, such as a pipe 21. A valve in said pipe is indicated at 21*. v

The oil reservoir is provided with a sight gage 22 whereby the desiredquantity of oil may be determined. The horizontal broken line aboutmidway between the top and bottom of this sight gage indicatesthedesired level of oil. The delivery end of the steam pipe 24 is submergedin the oil and is :indicated at 26.- The pressure in thereservoir 20isequal to the pressure in the steam ge11 erator. 1 j r The retort isindicated at 37. I may feed liquid hydrocarbon. or hydrocarbon vapor, ora combination of both, as desired, from the reservoir 20 to the retort.A supply pipeBOconnectsthereservoir with the re Patented Jan. 25. 1216.

tort, the receiving end of said pipe being submerged 1n the 011 in thereservolr. This pipe has a valve 46, whlch, when open, en-

ables liquid hydrocarbon to flow to the rea valve 44. It is apparentthat if valve 44' be'openand valve 46 be closed, only hydrocarbon vaporwill flow to the retort, while if valve 44 be closed and valve 46 beopen,

only liquid hydrocarbon will flow to the retort. If desired, both valvesmay be opened at the same time.

In order to vaporize the hydrocarbon oil in the reservoir 20, I providea steam coil 27 which is a continuation of the steam pipe 25. The outletof coil 27 is indicated at 28.

Steam is introduced into 7 the fuel feed pipe 30*by a steam pipe 33which receives steam from the pipe 23 The admission of steam to thepipe30 is controlled by a valve 45 A check valve isinserted in the pipe30 at 51, said check valve opening toward the retort.

The gases which are formed in the retort are conducted through apipe 38to a burner. I have shown a burnerwhich is specially designed for thispurpose, although it is to be understood that any suitable burner may beused. The burner as shown comprises a shellor casing 39 and a core 40.The supply pipe 38 delivers the gases into two branch pipes 41 wherebythe gases are admitted into the shell 39 at opposite sides of the coreand are sufficiently distributed in the chamber within the shell. Thegases are emitted from the shell throughan orifice 32. The core 40 isadjustable toward and from thisorifice. and theend toward the orifice istapered. The surrounding portion of the shell 39 islikewise tapered,whereby the flame is given a conical form and caused to envelop'theretort and fill the trunk 11. A screw 40*;is provided for adiusting thecore 40*toward and from the orifice 32.

The apparatus is operated as follows: Having started combustion in thegenerator 5 and generated suflicient steam therein for vaporizing theoil in the reservoir 20, the

valve 44 maybe opened to permit hydrocarbon-vapor to be forced by thesteam pressure behind-it. through the retort and thence through theorifice 32 of the burner, where it will be ignited. The retort isthusheated,

' and increases the -heatingproperties of the gases which are passingthrough it. hen the retort has been heated to a sufficient degree,fl vesteam may be admitted into the V p1pe30 by opening the valve 45,, steamand hydrocarbon vapor under equal pressure hemg thus-mixedprior-t0passing throughthe pressure has been generated in the generator 10, suchsteam may be used instead of that from the starting generator 5, byopening the valve 23* which enables steam to pass from the generator 10through the steam pipe 23 to feed the branches 24, 25 and 33hereinbefore described. When the hydrocarbon oil in the reservoir 20 hasbeen vaporized to such extent that it can no longer supply suflicientvapor, it may be conducted in its liquid state to the retort by openingthe valve 46, being mixed in passing, with steam from the pipe33. Solong as there is any vapor remaining in the reservoir 20, the valve 44may be left open; but when feeding liquid hydrocarbon through the pipe30 it is immaterial whether the valve 44 be open or closed, because thepressure in the reservoir 20 is at all times equal to the pressure ofthe steam which is admitted into the pipe 30 from the pipe 33.

In order to keep the hydrocarbon vapor heated sufiiciently while passingfrom the reservoir 20 to the retort, I inclose a substantial part of thepipe 30 in a steam jacket formed by a casing 31. Steam is admitted intothis jacket through a pipe 132 which has a valve 35, andthe exhaust isconducted away by a pipe 34 which has a valve 36. If it is desired toinduce a draft through the combustion chamber, I may admit steam intothe outlet flue 15 from an ejector pipe 52 which has a valve 53.

The thick, heavy grease which results from vaporizing the hydrocarbonoil in the reservoir 20 collects at the bottom of the reservoir, and Ihave provided a discharge pipe 49 therefor, said pipe having a valve 50.The reservoir 20 is provided with a lower sight gage whereby thequantitv of such heavy grease may be observed. Vater collects in smallquantities as the result of condensation ofsteam which is emitted fromthe pipe 24 in the oil reservoir. Such water, of course, collects at thebottom of the reservoir and may be drawn off through the pipe 49. Thereservoir 20 is provided with a. pressure gage 47 by which the attendantmay be informed when sufficient initial steam pressure has beengenerated for starting.

I claim:

An apparatus for the purpose specified, comprisingaclosed,.pressure-sustaining, oilfuel reservoir, a burner, a fuel-feedpipe arranged-to conduct oil and oil vapor from said reservoir to saidburner, said pipe having two fuel-receiving branches, the receiving endof one of said branches being below the oil level in said reservoir, andthe receiving end of the other one of said branches being above said oillevel, said branches having valves to regulate the flow of oil and vaporrespectively, a source of steam under pressure, a steam pipe arranged toconduct steam from said source into said fuel feed pipe between saidretort and the junction of said branches, and a steam pipe arranged toconduct steam from said source into the oil in said reservoir.

In testimony whereof I have affixed my signature, in presence of twoWitnesses.

ZABDIEL A. WILLARD. Witnesses:

WALTER P. ABELL, PETER W. PEZZETTI.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. G.

